More than 2,600 officials were punished in September for violating the principles of the Communist Party of China, the country's top anti-graft watchdog said on Tuesday.

Disciplinary inspection agencies around China have investigated 6,055 cases that violated the "eight-point" anti-bureaucracy and formalism rules, introduced at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in December 2012. The rules stipulate that CPC officials have to reduce pomp and ceremony for bureaucratic visits and meetings.

Twelve officials at the bureau level and 116 officials at the director level were punished in September, a statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in its monthly report.

Half of the cases have been involved in breaking work regulations, 1,442 cases related to the misuse of public funds and bureaucracy in government work. 773 cases have been involved with using government cars for private purposes.